Refrigerator show case



May 2 1932- c. v. HILL REFRIGERATOR SHOW CASE Filed Oct. 9, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 1 \W w w w. w

ll V. H5131.

May 24, 132mg 1930 2 Shs=et5-$heet Filed Oct.

Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES CLEMENT V. HILL, F TRENTON, NEWERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 C. V. HILL & 00., INC., OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A.CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY REFRIGERATOR SHOW CASE Application filedOctober 9, 1930. Serial No. 487,578.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerator show cases ofthat type provided with refrigerating means for preserving articles offood contained therein, and also pro- 5 vided at the front with atransparent panel formed of panes of glass whereby all or a portion ofthe articles stored in the case may be displayed to prospectivecustomers.

Certain kinds of frozen or frosted food products now on the marketrequire the use of a refrigerator case differing from a standardrefrigerator case in its ability to establish and maintain a temperaturebelow 32 F., generally 20 F. or lower, for preserving the frozen orfrosted products in such condition, and such super-cold refrigeratorsalso depend for their efficiency on maintaining a still cold, namely, acold air with little or no circulation, in order to prevent the depositof moisture and formation of vision obscuring frost upon the transparentpanel.

Refrigerators of the character referred to are commonly provided with adoor'or doors at the rear to allow access to the case, and a difficultyin their use is that each time this door is opened warm air rushesthrough the doorway and across to the front of the case and fogs thetransparent panel, thus rendering such panel useless for observationpurposes.

7 One object of my invention is to provide a novel construction andarrangement of baffle means, for use in show cases, to establish acirculation and direct the flow of warm and cold air in such a manner asto entirely prevent or reduce to an immaterial minimum fogging orfrosting of the transparent observation or display panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide bathe means operable inlike manner in a show case having upper and lower storage chambers andobservation panels to prevent the panels or either of them from beingfogged on the opening of a door.

A still further object of the invention is to provide baffling means ofnovel construction and so combined and operating in conjunction with arefrigerating unit as to secure a most reliable and eflicientrefrigerating action and maintenance of the transparent display panel orpanels in a clear condition at all times.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a baffle orbaffles which are readily removable for the purpose of enabling thenterior of the refrigerator to be defrosted, 1. e., to have its surfacesscraped for the removal of frost deposits.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a verticalfront-to-rear section through one form of refrigerator display caseembodying my invention, and showing the application of the invention toan upper storage compartment thereof.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the baflle plate or pan employed inFigs. 1 and 2.

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of myinvention employing baflle means in association with a lower storagecompartment of the refrigerator case.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The invention may be applied to refrigerator show cases of varying typesor forms, and hence'the invention is not restricted in this connection,certain embodiments of the invention in connection with refrigeratorcases of certain forms being disclosed for exemplification purposesonly.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, of thedrawings, 1 designates a refrigerator show case which, in theexemplification shown, is of oblong rectangular form below itshorizontal center and provided with upwardly converging front and rearwalls 2 and 8 connecting with a substantially flat top wall 4, which maybe employed as a service counter. This refrigerator case is providedwith a lower storage compartment 5 having on or more doors 6 at the rearfor the introduction and removal of articles, and said case has an upperstorage and display compartment 7 provided in its front wall 2 with atransparent observation or display panel 8 and in its rear wall 3 withone or more doors 9 for the introduction and removal of articles. Thepanel 8 may consist, as usual, of a plurality of panes of glass, spacedto provide air insulation spaces between the adjacent panes of glass.

The case is provided with a refrigerating unit 10 of coil type for thecirculation of a suitable refrigerant, for the purpose of maintainingthe chambers or compartments 5 and 7 at the desired low temperature.This unit preferably consists of a single continuous pipe coil in theform of a loop, whose upper and end limbs or portions, respectively, lieclose to and parallel with the top wall 4 and end walls 4 of the chamber7 and whose lower limbs or portions extend horizontally across the baseof the chamber 7 and between the same and the top of the chamber 5. ThisCOll is preferably encased in a correspondingly shaped sheet metaljacket 11, the top, end and bottom walls of which are formed ofsubstantially flat plates and provide a smooth surfaced casing for theparts of the coil and which are of a proper degree of conductivity as tonot interfere thermally with the refrigerating action of the coil. Thebottom portion of this jacket or casing also serves with the bottomlimbs of the coil as a smooth walled partition separating the chambers 5and 7 from each other and forming a shelf to support articles disposedfor storage and display in the chamber 7.

This refrigerator is designed to hold frozen or frosted products whichshould be kept at a temperature below the freezing point, and ordinarilyat a temperature of between 15F. and 20 F., and the construction of therefrigerator casing and refrigerating unit should be such that therefrigerated atmosphere within the refrigerator case will besubstantially still, or without circulating or traveling currents, inorder to prevent abstraction of moisture from the refrigerated articlesand the deposit of moisture on the transparent panel. ,In the use ofsuch a refrigerator, however, whenever the door is opened, for thepurpose of getting access to the chamber 7, warm air rushes through thedoorway into the chamber and on striking the top of the chamber isdeflected downwardly and forwardly and comes into contact with the glassof the panel 8, resulting in the latter being more or less heavilyfogged, so that the contents of the chamber can not be seen through thepanel. My invention provides a means for overcoming this objection andalso for permitting ready and convenient defrosting of the walls orsurfaces of the refrigerator chambers whenever required and withoutremoving the refrigerated articles from the case.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide within the top chamber7 a panshaped baffle member 12, comprising a sheet metal plate ofgenerally rectangular or oblong rectangular form and having at the sidesthereof upstandin walls or flanges 13 and at the front thereof 13. Thewalls 13 extend the full distance between the front and rear edges ofthe plate 12 and are of gradually increasing depth from rear to front,so that when the upper edges of the walls 12 are disposed in ahorizontal plane the plate 12 will incline or slope at a downward andforward angle. This bafile member is disposed at the top of the chamberso that the upper edges of the walls 12 bear against the underside orinner face of the top wall of the jacket 11 and so that the plate 12 isspaced at its rear edge a short distance from the rear wall 3, at itsfront edge a somewhat greater distance from the wall 2, and with itsbody portion inclined downwardly and forwardly as described to provide adisplacement chamber between it and the top part of the jacket whichincreases in depth between its front and rear edges. The bafile memberso formed and arranged may be detachably supported in position in anypreferred manner. In the present instance, the bafiie member is providedat its front edge with lugs 14 to rest upon brackets 15 at the sides ofthe jacket 11 and is engaged and supported and detachably held inposition at its rear edge by a spring catch or keeper 16 depending fromthe top portion of the jacket 11. Other suitable means may, of course,be provided for holding the baflie member in position in lieu of themeans shown, the object being to mount the bafiie member so that it maybe readily and conveniently removed whenever it is desired to clean theinterior of the chamber 7. The easy removability of the baflle memberalso adapts it to be detached and withdrawn in a Very simple and easymanner and in a short period of time in order to enable an operator tohave access to the interior surfaces for defrosting them, namely,removing accumulated frost by means of a scraper, without the absolutenecessity of removing the food products from the chamber.

The operation of the baflle member and the air displacement chamberformed thereby, in preventing fogging or frosting of the panel 8, is asfollows:

l/Vhen the door 9 is opened to give access to the chamber 7, there is animmediate rush of warm air from the outside into said chamber. A portionof this air flows directly upward against the top of the refrigerator,or top part of the jacket 11, and into the displacement chamber formedby the bafile pan and displaces the cool air therefrom, which flowsforwardly and out at the front of the pan and downwardly below theflange 13. Another portion of the warm air flows directly forwardbeneath the baflie pan and toward the panel 8 and is checked by the adepending flange flange 13' and by the displaced downwardly flowingcurrent of cold air, which thus is interposed between and acts as a coolair barrier between the warm air and the panel 8, thus protecting thelatter from any material internal temperature changes. The major part ofthe air striking the bottom of the baflle pan is deflected downwardlyand prevented from moving forward by the tempered and cooler air, asindicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and hence a circulation isestablished, as a result of which the warm air upon entering the chamber7 is caused to flow in a somewhat circular path, remote from the panel8, and in its course of flow the air is cooled and all warm air isprevented from encountering and causing fogging or frosting of the glasspanel. Thus the door 9 may be opened at any time for such period as maybe necessary to insert or remove articles without causing fogging orfrosting of the glass panel and thereby impairing its transparency andrendering its useless for its intended purpose of permitting observationfrom without of the contents of the chamber. It will be observed thatthe baffle member does not take up any great amount of useful storagespace, and that it may be entirely removed in the event it is desired toentirely fill the chamber 7 for storage purposes solely, or to permit itand the interior of the refrigerator to be cleaned without interference.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the construction ofthe refrigerator display case 1 is substantially the same as that shownin Figs. 1 and 2, except that the lower chamber 5 is provided in itsfront wall with a transparent panel 8 similar to the panel 8 of theupper chamber 7. The upper chamber 7 a is here provided w th a baffleplate or pan 12 of the construction previously described, but the bottompart1- tion or supporting shelf portion 11 formed by the correspondingportions of the refrigerator coil and jacket is inclined downwardly andforwardly to form with one or more superposed baflle members 17 aninclined baflle device and one or more associated a1r displacementchambers or channels 17. In the present instance a plurality of .bafllemembers 17 of inverted trough-shaped formation are shown which arearranged side by side in parallel relation and rest upon the shelf 11 toform a plurality of displacement channels and a supporting or shelfsurface thereabove on which the stored articles may be placed. By thismeans a baflie structure is provided to prevent warm air entering thechamber 5 when the door 6 is opened from passing upwardly into thechamber 7* and to prevent such warm air from also passing directly fromfront to rear of the chamber 5* and fogging or frosting the panel 8*.lVhen the door 6 is opened a portion of the air will OUGI bll HUUHI flowupwardly between the rear wall of the chamber 5 at its top and the rearends of the chambers or channels 17 and displace therefrom the cool airwhich will flow downwardly and forwardly into the front part of chamber5, and another portion of the warm air entering the door 6 will strikethe inclined bottom 11 of the jacket and be deflected downwardlythereby, and this portion of the warm air will meet the displaced coolair which will prevent the warm air from flowing forwardly and act as aninsulating or cold barrier between the same and the panel 8 to preventthe latter from being fogged or frosted. The commingled currents of warmand cold air will then flow upwardly and toward the rear and through thechannels 17, establishing a circulation which will carry with it anymoisture liberated in the chamber 5 and prevent the same from beingdeposited on the panel. lVhen the door 6 is closed this air will becooled until it reaches the same temperature as the remaining air, andan initial condition of cold still atmosphere will be re-established inthe refrigerator case. lVith this construction also the individualbaflle members 17 may be removed to permit the operations of cleaning orde-frosting to be carried out in a ready and convenient manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation andadvantages of my improved refrigerator display case with air controllingbaflles will be readily understood and its advantage in preventingfrosting or fogging of the observation panels appreciated. \Vhile theconstructions disclosed for the purpose of carrying the invention intopractical effect are preferred, it is to be understood that changes inthe form, proportions and details of construction within the scope ofthe appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim l. A refrigerator showcase having a refrigerating chamber provided with a display panel and adoor at opposite sides thereof, means for refrigerating said chamber,and a baflle device arranged in the top of the chamber and forming acold air displacement and air flow channel having inlet and exit endsarranged respectively at the door and panel sides of the chamber, saidchannel increasing in depth between its inlet and exit ends and providedwith a depending deflector flange at its exit end.

2. A refrigerator show case having a refrigerating chamber provided inopposite sides thereof with a display panel and a door, refrigeratingmeans in said chamber, and an air circulation creating and baflle devicedisposed in the top of said chamber and com.- prisinga. pan-shaped bodyhaving an inclined bottom wall forming a channel having inlet and exitends respectively located adj acent the door and anel sides of thechamber and of gradual y increasing depth between said ends, the exit ofsaid pan being provided in spaced relation to the panel with a dependingdeflector flange.

3. A refrigerator show case having a refrigerating chamber provided inopposite walls thereof with a display panel and a door, refrigeratingmeans for said chamber, and a baflie device in said chamber constructedand arranged to cause warm air entering the chamber on opening of thedoor to be divided into two streams, one passing upwardly and causing adownward displacement of cold air at the panel side of the chamber andthe other being retarded by said baflie and insulated by said descendingcurrent of cold air from the panel, and a depending baffle flange at thepanel side of the bafile.

4. A refrigerator show case having a refrigerating chamber provided inopposite walls thereof with a display panel and a door, a refrigeratingelement comprising a jacketed coiled loop disposed in said chamber andlining the top and bottom of said chamber and the sides thereof exceptthose sides provided with the panel and the door, and means arranged inthe chamber and surrounded by the coil for controlling the flow of warmair entering the chamber when the door is opened to prevent said airfrom fogging or frosting the panel.

5. A refrigerator show case having a refrigerating compartment providedin opposite sides thereof with a display panel and a door, a hollowconducting jacket of loop form arranged in said chamber and lining thetop and bottom of the chamber and the sides of the chamber except thoseprovided with the display panel and the door, a refrigerating coil ofcorresponding form surrounded by said jacket, and a baffle disposed inthe chamber beneath the top of the jacket and operating on opening ofthe door to cause displacement of cold air from a part of the chamberand its movement to insulate the panel from the entering warm air.

6. A refrigerator show case having an upper compartment and a lowercompartment, the upper compartment being provided at opposite sides witha display panel and a door, a hollow walled jacket disposed in the upperchamber and forming top, bottom and end walls for said chamber, thebottom wall of the jacket separating the upper chamber from the lowerchamber, and a device in the top of said upper chamber operative onopening movement of the door and entrance of warm air through thedoorway to draw the warm air upward and effect a displacement of coldair from the top of the chamber and to interpose said cold air as abarrier betweenthe warm air and the display panel.

7. A refrigerator show case having upper and lower compartments eachprovided in opposite sides thereof with a display panel and a door, ajacket of looped formation in the upper compartment and having a hollowwall lining the top, bottom and sides of saidcompartment, said bottomportion of the jacket also forming a partition separating the uppercompartment from the lower compartment, a device in the top part of theupper compartment operative on opening movement of the door of saidcompartment and entrance of warm air to draw the warm air upward anddisplace cold air from the top of the compartment and cause said coldair to form a barrier between the transparent panel of said compartmentand the warm air, a. refrigerating coil enclosed by the jacket, andchannel forming means supported by the bottom of the jacket andoperating on the opening of the door of the lower compartment and theentrance of warm air thereinto to draw the warm air upward and displacecold air and cause its downward travel to form an insulating barrierbetween the entering warm air and the panel of said compartment.

8. A refrigerator show case havin a refrigerating chamber provided witha isplay panel and a door at opposite sides thereof, a refrigeratingelement in said chamber, supporting projections on said element, apanshaped bafile device arranged in the top of the chamber and havingside walls provided at one end with supporting projections to slidablyengage and rest upon the supporting projections on the refrigeratingelement, and a spring latch carried by the refrigerating element toengage the pan at the side opposite the supporting projections thereofto detachably secure said pan in position.

9. A refrigerator show case having an upper compartment and a lowercompartment, the upper compartment being provided at opposite sides witha display panel and a door, refrigerating elements at the top of theupper compartment and between said compartments and partitioning theupper compartment from the lower compartment, and baflles carried by therefrigerating elements and forming air circulating channels.

10. A refrigerator show case having an upper compartment and a lowercompartment, the upper compartment being provid ed at oppositesides witha display panel and a door, refrigerating elements at the top of theupper compartment and between the upper and lower compartments andpartitioning said compartments from each other, and a baffle devicearranged for coaction with the refrigerating element at the top of theupper compartment and forming therewitha cold air displacement and airflow channel having inlet and exit ends arranged respectively at thedoor and panel sides of the compartment.

11. Arfrigerator show case having a refrigerating compartment providedwith a display panel and a door at opposite sides thereof, and a bafiiedevice in the upper portion of said compartment between said panel anddoor, said device comprising a panshaped body embodying a bottom plate,and upstanding walls at opposite sides of the plate of graduallyincreasing height between the rear and front sides of said plate.

12. A refrigerator show case having upper andlowercompartments eachprovided in opposite sides thereof with a display panel and a door,refrigerating means at the top of the upper compartment and between thecompartments, the latter-named refrigerating means forming a partitionspaced at its front and rear edges from the front and rear walls of thecase but otherwise separating said compartments from each other, abaflie device in the top of the upper compartment forming with the upperrefrigerating element a cold air displacement and air flow channel, andbaflie devices coacting with the lower refrigerating element and formingtherewith air displacement channels communicating at their ends with thelower portion of the uper compartment and upper portion of the owercompartment at the front and rear thereof. a

13. A refrigerator show case of the character set forth in claim 12wherein the lower refrigerating element comprises a jacket, refrigerantcirculating pipes in said jacket, and a series of parallel channeledbaffle devices extending along the upper surface of said partitionbetween the front and rear ed es thereof.

11 testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLEMENT V. HILL.

